KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Services provided by the Monadnock Center for Violence Prevention are transitioning to The Center for Safer Communities, following months of organizational turmoil that resulted in the nonprofit being placed under court-ordered receivership.

The transition took effect Oct. 1 and brings MCVP’s programs under the leadership and governance of The Center for Safer Communities, a Claremont-based nonprofit that provides services to survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and stalking.

The organization said services in the Monadnock Region will continue, with designated staff and a physical office remaining locally. The Center for Safer Communities also plans to maintain emergency shelter services and prevention programs in area schools and communities.

The transition follows the resignation of MCVP’s entire board of directors in March. The New Hampshire Charitable Trusts Unit subsequently asked Cheshire County Superior Court to appoint a receiver, citing concerns about the nonprofit’s governance and management.

A judge approved the receivership in April and appointed nonprofit attorney Joshua Sattely to oversee the organization.

Court documents filed by the Charitable Trusts Unit described an organization struggling with leadership, communication and administrative responsibilities. MCVP had 11 employees as of April and served residents throughout Cheshire County and western Hillsborough County.

The agency said MCVP’s board was operating without a treasurer, a position required under the organization’s bylaws, and had only six remaining members at the time. Three of those members had served for more than six months.

The court filing also described significant conflict between MCVP’s board and management during the tenure of then-Executive Director Michelle Trombley, who was the third person to hold the position since 2024.

According to the lawsuit, communication between the board and management had deteriorated substantially, with disputes over interpersonal and professional matters contributing to the organization’s instability. Following a March meeting with Trombley, the board resigned, although some members were later persuaded to remain temporarily to address their fiduciary obligations.

The Charitable Trusts Unit also raised concerns about MCVP’s ability to satisfy documentation and administrative requirements associated with its funding. Those concerns included grants administered through the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, of which both MCVP and The Center for Safer Communities are members.

Sattely’s initial report to the court, filed in July, identified additional concerns, including the absence of written financial policies and a completed audit, gaps in programming, confidentiality issues, employee training needs, staffing shortages and strained relationships within the community.

The court-appointed receiver also warned that ending MCVP’s operations would leave an important gap in services for people in the Monadnock Region.

The Center for Safer Communities said the transition is intended to address those organizational issues while keeping services available locally.

Pascale Graham, executive director of The Center for Safer Communities, said the organization’s priority is to ensure that people who depend on MCVP’s services continue to have access to them without interruption. She said the longer-term goal is to strengthen and potentially expand services throughout the region.

The organization will provide free and confidential assistance, including round-the-clock crisis response, emergency shelter and housing support, court and systems advocacy, safety planning, peer support, prevention education and referrals.

Some MCVP direct-service employees are expected to remain in their roles, while The Center for Safer Communities plans to add staff as needed. Graham and the organization’s assistant director will also spend time working in the Monadnock Region.

The local emergency shelter, which has been operating with limited availability, will remain part of the services offered in the region.

The Center for Safer Communities is also planning a community listening process to determine what residents, survivors, service providers, community leaders and other stakeholders identify as the area’s most pressing needs.

The first Community Listening Session is scheduled for Nov. 12 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Hannah Grimes Center in Keene. People interested in attending are asked to RSVP by emailing info@cscnh.org.

The transition also marks the end of MCVP as an independent organization after decades of serving the Monadnock Region. The nonprofit has operated locally since the 1970s.

The Center for Safer Communities said it intends to build on that history while working with survivors, employees, donors, community organizations and other partners to determine the future direction of services in the region.

The organization said the change in organizational structure will not diminish the need for domestic and sexual violence services or the community’s role in supporting them.